View source for The Greenbrier

{{Short description|Resort hotel in West Virginia}}
{{Other uses|Greenbrier (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
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| name                = The Greenbrier
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| address             = 101 Main Street West
| location_city       = [[White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia]]<!--24986--> <!-- or | location_town       =  -->
| location_country    = [[United States]]
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| owner               = [[Jim Justice|Justice Family Group]]
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| number_of_rooms     = 710
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{{Infobox NRHP
| embed                = yes
| name                 = The Greenbrier
| nrhp_type            = nhld
| image                = <!-- 2008-0831-TheGreenbrier-North.jpg -->
| caption              = <!-- North entrance -->
| area                 =
| built                =
| architect            = [[John H.B. Latrobe]] et al.
| architecture         = [[Neoclassical architecture|Classical revival]], [[Federal architecture|Federal]]
| designated_nrhp_type = June 21, 1990<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1492&ResourceType=District |title=The Greenbrier |access-date=October 13, 2007 |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231125957/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1492&ResourceType=District |archive-date=December 31, 2007}}</ref>
| added                = October 9, 1974<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a|dateform=mdy}}</ref>
| refnum               = 74002000
}}
| references           =
| footnotes            =
}}
'''The Greenbrier''' is a [[Resort hotel|luxury resort]] located in the [[Allegheny Mountains]] near [[White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia|White Sulphur Springs]] in [[Greenbrier County, West Virginia]], United States.

Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of the area. Today, the Greenbrier is situated on {{convert|11000|acre|ha}} of land with 710 guest rooms, 20 restaurants and lounges, more than 55 indoor and outdoor activities and sports, and more than 35 retail shops.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenbrier.com/HomePage-Sub-Pages/About-The-Greenbrier |title=About The Greenbrier |access-date=June 9, 2016}}</ref>

The current Greenbrier was built in 1913 by the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]] and was owned for much of its history by that company and its successors, [[Chessie System]] and [[CSX Corporation]]. Following years of heavy losses, CSX had the hotel file for bankruptcy protection in 2009. Justice Family Group, LLC, a company owned by coal baron and later governor of West Virginia [[Jim Justice]], subsequently bought the property and guaranteed all debts, resulting in dismissal of the bankruptcy protection. Justice promised to return the hotel to its former status as a [[Hotel rating|five-star]] resort and to introduce "tasteful" gambling for guests to increase profit. The '''Greenbrier Hotel Corp.''' today operates as a subsidiary of Justice's company.<ref name="investing.businessweek.com">{{cite web |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=6477674 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118194348/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=6477674 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |title=Greenbrier Hotel Corporation: Private Company Information – Bloomberg |website=Bloomberg BusinessWeek}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://lhonline.com/development/realestate/greenbrier_sold_0507/ |title=Greenbrier Sold to WV Businessman |first=Eric |last=Stoessel |access-date=October 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419033630/http://lhonline.com/development/realestate/greenbrier_sold_0507/ |archive-date=April 19, 2012}}</ref>

The last U.S. president to stay at the Greenbrier during his [[Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower|presidency]] was [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. A total of 28 presidents have stayed at the hotel.

The Greenbrier is also the site of a massive underground bunker that was meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the [[United States Congress]] during the [[Cold War]].<ref name=erglat592>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4UNWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6422%2C6971259 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=(Los Angeles Times) |last=Eaton |first=William |title=Congress has a secret bunker under resort |date=May 30, 1992 |page=1A}}</ref><ref name=lnsap92>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=goEzAAAAIBAJ&pg=6906%2C3565588 |newspaper=Lodi News-Sentinel |location=California |agency=Associated Press |title=Congress' secret bunker in hillside by resort |date=May 30, 1992 |page=11}}</ref><ref name=osbkr92>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oHlIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1829%2C6816659 |newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner |location=Florida |agency=Knight-Ridder Newspapers |last=Webb |first=Tom |title=West Virginia resort harbors nuclear bunker for Congress |date=May 30, 1992 |page=1A}}</ref><ref name=tolbl95>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VeE0AAAAIBAJ&pg=3920%2C1772670 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |agency=Associated Press |title=Congress had headquarters for nuclear war |date=November 6, 1995 |page=3}}</ref><ref name=redgap1195>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jmwlAAAAIBAJ&pg=1228%2C4767739 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |title=TV viewers get look at secret Congress bunker |date=November 6, 1995 |page=A4}}</ref> The bunker was code named "[[Project Greek Island]]".<ref name=tgfh97 >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v1hGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1162%2C2516677 |newspaper=Sunday Gazette |location=Schenectady, New York |last=Dillman |first=Grant |agency=Maturity News Service |title=The bunker for the Hill |date=January 12, 1997 |page=G9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/bunker.html |title=Tour The Greenbrier Bunker |publisher=PBS |access-date=November 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004002539/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/bunker.html |archive-date=October 4, 2009}}</ref>

==History==
===Early development===
A [[Spring (hydrology)|spring]] of [[Sulfur water|sulphur water]] is at the center of the resort property. It is surrounded by the white-columned [[spring house]], topped by a green dome that has been the symbol of the Greenbrier for generations. Beginning in 1778, Mrs. Anderson, a local pioneer, adopted the local [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tradition of "taking the waters" to relieve her chronic [[rheumatism]]. Based on this resource, for the first 125 years, the resort was known by the name White Sulphur Springs. It was a destination for people during the summers who wanted to escape coastal heat and diseases.<ref name="nrhpnom">{{cite web |last1=Turley |first1=C.E. |last2=Harding |first2=James |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: The Greenbrier |url=https://wvculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-greenbrier.pdf |website=West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=October 1, 2024 |date=February 4, 1976}}</ref>

The property was acquired by the Calwells, a prominent [[Baltimore]] family. They developed the large property as a resort, selling cottages, many of which still stand today, to prominent [[Southern United States|Southern]] individuals. Notable guests of the early 19th century included [[Martin Van Buren]] and [[Henry Clay]].

In 1858, they built a huge hotel building on the property. The Grand Central Hotel came to be known by the moniker "The White" and, later, "The Old White". During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the property changed hands between forces of the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate Army]] and the [[Union Army]], who almost burned the resort to the ground.

Following the Civil War, the resort reopened under [[Confederate States of America]] Major [[Cornelius Boyle]]. It became a place for many Southerners and Northerners alike to vacation. It was the setting for some notable post-war reconciliations. The "White Sulphur Manifesto",<ref name=manifesto>{{cite web |url=http://rosecransheadquarters.org/Rosecrans/WhiteSulphurManifesto/Lee.htm |access-date=August 26, 2010 |author=Robert E. Lee |title=White Sulphur Manifesto |date=August 26, 1868}}</ref> the only political paper published by Confederate General [[Robert E. Lee]] after the Civil War, advocated the merging of the two societies. The resort became a center of regional post-war society, especially after the arrival of the railroad. Beginning in 1869, it provided direct service to the resort's gates.

===The Greenbrier===
In 1910, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway purchased the resort property, building additional amenities, including the current bath wing, which opened in 1911. The C&O's improvements culminated with the construction of a colossal six-story, 250-room hotel building, which forms the central wing of today's hotel. Designed by British-born American architect [[Frederick Sterner|Frederick Julius Sterner]], it opened on September 25, 1913. At this time, what had for decades been a summer establishment was converted to a year-round resort, and the name was officially changed to the Greenbrier, after the [[Greenbrier County, West Virginia|neighboring county]]. The neighboring town had incorporated in 1909 and adopted the name [[White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia|White Sulphur Springs]], which the resort had previously used. The railroad also introduced the game of golf, which became a defining feature of the resort. The first small course was opened in 1910, and a full 18-hole course, designed by [[Charles B. Macdonald]], opened at the Greenbrier in 1913. That original course is today known as "The Old White TPC". The historic Old White Hotel structure was demolished in 1922 because it failed to meet then-current fire codes. In 1931, completion of the north wing, crossing the original 1913 wing like a "T", nearly doubled the size of the hotel.

Just after the United States entered [[World War II]], the resort was called on December 17, 1941, to serve as a [[Internment|relocation center]] for [[Axis powers|Axis]] diplomats who were in the United States and had been interned as enemies of the United States. The first detainees were Germans; later, they were joined by Japanese diplomats previously interned at [[The Omni Homestead Resort|The Homestead]] in [[Hot Springs, Virginia]]. The hotel served as a diplomatic detention center until July 8, 1942.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stewart |first=William H. |title=Diplomats, Disputes & Deceit World War II's First Exchange of Enemy Diplomats |url=http://www.saipanstewart.com/essays/Internment.html |work=Saipan Stewart |publisher=NCC Consulting |access-date=July 10, 2012 |year=2012}}</ref><ref>[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/when-greenbrier-other-appalachian-resorts-became-prisons-for-axis-diplomats-180974243/ When the Greenbrier and Other Appalachian Resorts Became Prisons for Axis Diplomats]</ref>

The hotel briefly reopened for the 1942 season, but was soon commandeered by the U.S. Army for use as a hospital. The Army paid $3.3 million for the property, which had been valued at $5.4 million, and took over control of the property on September 1, 1942. They converted the resort to a 2000-bed hospital, known as '''Ashford General Hospital''', named for [[Bailey Ashford]], a noted Army doctor. The hospital opened on October 16, 1943. It treated nearly 25,000 patients before closing on June 30, 1946. The property was sold back to the C&O railroad for just under the $3.3 million they had been paid in 1942.
[[File:Greenbrier Dorothy Draper design.jpg|thumb|Dorothy Draper interior at the Greenbrier]]
C&O hired internationally renowned interior designer [[Dorothy Draper]] to completely redecorate and restore the Greenbrier. Draper oversaw every element of the design of the property in her trademark style: combining bold colors, classical influences and modern touches, and the work took two years. The Greenbrier's reopening, celebrated from April 15 to 18, 1948, was an international social event of the season. Notable attendees included the [[Duke of Windsor]] and his wife, [[Wallis Simpson]] (who had spent her honeymoon with her first husband at the Greenbrier in 1916), [[Bing Crosby]], and members of the Joseph [[Kennedy family]]. Since the late 20th century, the resort has hosted several presidents and vice-presidents, in addition to foreign dignitaries such as [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], [[Indira Gandhi]], and [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Prince Rainier]] and [[Grace Kelly|Princess Grace]] of [[Monaco]].

===International meetings===
The Greenbrier resort has played host to several important international meetings. During [[World War II]], future Canadian prime minister [[Lester Pearson]], then assigned to the Canadian embassy in [[Washington, D.C.]], was among the illustrious guests planning the Allied effort for resources allocation.<ref>Biography of Lester Pearson, volume 1, by John English</ref> The U.S., Mexican, and Canadian leaders met at the Greenbrier in 1955 for international discussions.<ref>Canadian Prime Ministers from Macdonald to Trudeau, chapter on [[Louis St. Laurent]], 2007, Toronto, University of Toronto Press</ref>

===The Bunker===
{{Main|Project Greek Island}}

In the late 1950s, the [[U.S. government]] approached the Greenbrier for assistance in creating a [[secret]] emergency relocation center to house [[United States Congress|Congress]] in the aftermath of a [[nuclear holocaust]]. The classified, underground facility, named "[[Project Greek Island]]",<ref name=tgfh97 /><ref name="pbs">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/bunker.html |title=Tour The Greenbrier Bunker |access-date=June 18, 2008 |work=PBS Documentary |publisher=PBS |archive-date=October 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004002539/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/bunker.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> was built at the same time as the West Virginia Wing, an above-ground addition to the hotel, from 1959 to 1962.<ref name=tolbl95 /><ref name=redgap1195 />

Although for 30 years the bunker was kept stocked with supplies, it was never used as an emergency location, even during the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. The existence of the bunker was not acknowledged by the government; [[Ted Gup]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported it in a 1992 story.<ref name=erglat592 /><ref name=lnsap92 /><ref name=osbkr92 /> Immediately after publication of the ''Post'' story, the government decommissioned the bunker. The facility has since been renovated. It is used as a data storage facility by CSX IP<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenbrier Resort |date=September 12, 2020 |title="The Bunker: Facts" |url=https://www.greenbrier.com/GreenbrierResort/media/Accommodations/Documents/The-Bunker-Overview-FINAL-11192019.pdf |website=Greenbrier Resort}}</ref> for the [[private sector]]. It is featured as an attraction in which visitors can tour the now declassified facilities, known as The Bunker.

===Justice family ownership===
On March 20, 2009, the resort filed for bankruptcy, listing debt of up to $500 million and assets of $100 million. It had suffered from competition from a wide variety of resorts, and declining traffic since the postwar period as patrons shifted to destinations they could reach by automobile. The resort lost $35 million in 2008 and had to lay off 650 employees, half its workforce, in early 2009. Pending court and regulatory approval, it was announced in March 2009 that the resort was to be sold to the [[Marriott International|Marriott]] hotel chain,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Marriott-to-own-and-operate-the-Greenbrier |title=Marriott to own and operate the Greenbrier: Travel Weekly |website=travelweekly.com}}</ref> contingent upon significant concessions from the [[trade union|unions]] and approval of $50 million in financing from CSX.

On May 7, 2009, the Justice family of West Virginia purchased the resort for $20&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/UPDATED--A-surprised-Marriott-loses-out-on-Greenbrier-resort |title=UPDATED: A surprised Marriott loses out on Greenbrier resort: Travel Weekly |website=travelweekly.com}}</ref> The Justice family, headed by patriarch [[Jim Justice]], has extensive farm and mining<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/jim-justice-ii/ |title=Jim Justice, II. |website=Forbes}}</ref> operations in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. It farms {{convert|50000|acre|km2}} through its Justice Family Farms group, headquartered in [[Beckley, West Virginia]]. In early 2009, it sold its Bluestone Coal Corporation network of West Virginia coal mines to the [[Russia]]n mining company [[Mechel]], based in [[Moscow]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=58464 |title=West Virginia Businessman Buys The Greenbrier |work=The State Journal |location=Charleston, WV |date=May 7, 2009 |access-date=January 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725075136/http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=58464 |archive-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref>

The Marriott Corporation asserted that it had a valid contract to purchase the hotel, and expected to see that contract honored. However, Justice ultimately settled with Marriott.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/18/AR2011031804667.html |title=How the Greenbrier deal went down |work=The Washington Post |date=March 18, 2011 |access-date=May 27, 2019}}</ref> The bankruptcy judge dismissed the case on May 19, 2009, clearing the way for Justice's purchase of the property.<ref name=routers_bankruptcy>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSN1942286120090319 |title=Exclusive US resort Greenbrier files Chapter 11 |first=Tom |last=Hals |date=March 19, 2009 |work=Reuters |access-date=April 1, 2009}}</ref><ref name=wsj_justice>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124174044943598715 |date=May 8, 2009 |access-date=May 8, 2009 |title=Justice Family in Greenbrier Deal |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |first=Paulo |last=Prada}}</ref><ref name=washpost>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/19/AR2009051903626.html |title=Bankruptcy Judge Approves Sale Of Greenbrier Resort |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 20, 2009 |access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref>

The resort was closed briefly after the [[2016 West Virginia flood]]; however, flood victims who needed a place to stay were offered rooms in the hotel.<ref>{{cite news |first=Todd |last=Ward |publisher=[[WOAY-TV|WOAY]] |date=June 25, 2016 |access-date=June 25, 2016 |title=The Greenbrier Offers Rooms For Flood Victims |url=http://woay.com/News.aspx?nid=26702 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627143143/http://woay.com/News.aspx?nid=26702 |archive-date=June 27, 2016}}</ref> The hotel reopened on July 12, 2016, with several amenities, including an off-road [[Jeep]] trail, several walking trails, and the falconry operation, which had been closed for the year.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

With Justice's election as [[Governor of West Virginia]] in 2017, his daughter Jill took over day-to-day control of the Greenbrier.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

Financial woes have continued into the 2020s. Ownership of the Greenbrier has been used as [[collateral (finance)|collateral]] for loans taken out by the Justice family, including to both Carter Bank & Trust as well as a $50 million loan from [[JPMorgan Chase]]. Tax [[lien]]s have been placed on other Justice properties for non-payment of taxes as well. The Justices have been in court several times for non-payment of debts, suggesting that bailing out the property might not be easy for the family.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gov. Jim Justice Faces Heavy Business Debts as He Seeks Senate Seat |date=May 12, 2024 |first1=Campbell |last1=Robertson |first2=Maureen |last2=Farrell |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/12/us/jim-justice-west-virginia-senate.html |access-date=May 12, 2024}}</ref>

==Facilities==
=== The Casino Club at the Greenbrier ===
In November 2008, county voters narrowly approved a local option referendum that would permit [[casino]]-style gambling at the hotel. The rules, regulations, and tax rates were signed into law on May 8, 2009. The Justice family promised that gambling facilities at the resort would be "tasteful" if established.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailymail.com/News/200905110169 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407012025/http://www.dailymail.com/News/200905110169 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 7, 2010 |title=Manchin signs Greenbrier gambling bill |work=Charleston Daily Mail |location=Charleston, West Virginia |date=May 11, 2009 |access-date=January 23, 2010}}</ref>
The temporary casino, named "The Tavern Casino", opened on October 1, 2009. The permanent casino, The Casino Club at the Greenbrier opened on July 2, 2010 with a celebrity gala.

In 2013, the casino added [[simulcast]] horse racing and associated betting to its offerings.

===Presidents' Cottage Museum===
Twenty-eight [[President of the United States|presidents]] have been hosted at the Greenbrier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenbrier.com/site/activities-detail.aspx?cid=79 |title=Presidents' Cottage Museum |publisher=The Greenbrier |access-date=January 23, 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731033802/http://www.greenbrier.com/site/activities-detail.aspx?cid=79 |archive-date=July 31, 2008}}</ref> The Presidents' Cottage Museum is a two-story building with exhibits about these visits and the history of the Greenbrier. The building is open seasonally.

==Golf==
The resort has a significant place in golf history. The original nine holes were designed by [[Alexander Findlay (golfer)|Alexander H. Findlay]]. In 1944, [[Sam Snead]] became the head golf professional at Greenbrier and in retirement held the position of the resort's pro emeritus. In the 21st century, that title has been held by [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]] and later [[Lee Trevino]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenbrier.com/Golf/Golf-History/Lee-Trevino |title=The Greenbrier – Lee Trevino, The Greenbrier's Golf Pro Emeritus |website=greenbrier.com |access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref>

The Greenbrier was the site of the [[Ryder Cup]] in [[1979 Ryder Cup|1979]], the first to be contested under the format of United States against Europe, which has been continued to the present. It hosted the [[Solheim Cup]] in [[1994 Solheim Cup|1994]], the women's equivalent to the Ryder Cup. The Greenbrier is the first of three locations to host both the men's and women's United States versus Europe team competitions, the Ryder and Solheim cups; it was joined in [[1998 Solheim Cup|1998]] by [[Muirfield Village]] in [[Dublin, Ohio]], with Scotland's [[Gleneagles Hotel]] PGA Centenary Course, the host of the [[2014 Ryder Cup]], joining when it hosted the [[2019 Solheim Cup]].

[[The Greenbrier American Express Championship]] on the Senior PGA Tour (now the [[PGA Tour Champions]]) was held from [[1985 Senior PGA Tour|1985]] through [[1987 Senior PGA Tour|1987]].<ref name=crch87>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=APohAAAAIBAJ&pg=4422%2C4940392 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=news services |title=Crampton champion |date=July 6, 1987 |page=23}}</ref><ref name=scres87>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=APohAAAAIBAJ&pg=4476%2C4965797 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |title=Golf: Greenbrier Seniors |date=July 6, 1987 |page=25}}</ref>

The [[PGA Tour]] came to the hotel in [[2010 PGA Tour|2010]] with the [[Greenbrier Classic]]. After two years of being held on the last weekend of July, the tournament obtained the more favorable date of the first weekend in July, starting in [[2012 PGA Tour|2012]]. On March 28, 2011, The Old White Course became a [[Tournament Players Club|TPC]] course.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Greenbrier becomes newest member of TPC Network |url=http://www.pgatour.com/2011/r/03/28/greenbrier-tpc/index.html |publisher=PGA Tour |date=October 14, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014064138/http://www.pgatour.com/2011/r/03/28/greenbrier-tpc/index.html |archive-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref> The [[2016 PGA Tour|2016]] event was canceled due to [[2016 West Virginia flood|severe flooding]] in June.

All four of the golf courses on the property, the Old White TPC, the Greenbrier Course, the Meadows Course, and the Snead Course were damaged in the 2016 flood. On July 12, 2016, a modified course, made up mostly of the Greenbrier Course but also parts of the Meadows Course, was laid out and opened for play that year. The remaining courses were closed for the year.

In 2020, the PGA Tour cancelled its [[Tournament Players Club|TPC]] affiliation with the Greenbrier. The resort hosted a [[LIV Golf]] event at the Old White Course in August 2023.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=McDonald |first1=Patrick |title=2023 LIV Golf Greenbrier: Schedule, field of players, teams, prize money, purse, live stream, TV schedule |url=https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/2023-liv-golf-greenbrier-schedule-field-of-players-teams-prize-money-purse-live-stream-tv-schedule/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=August 2, 2024 |date=August 2, 2023}}</ref>

==Tennis==
The resort is home to a 2,500-seat tennis stadium, five Har-Tru outdoor courts and five Deco-Turf indoor courts. As a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], all matches during the [[2020 World TeamTennis season]] were held at the Greenbrier.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timcasey/2020/06/09/world-teamtennis-holding-45th-season-at-west-virginias-greenbrier-resort-with-500-fans-in-attendance/ |title=World TeamTennis Holding 45th Season At West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort With 500 Fans In Attendance |website=[[Forbes]] |date=June 9, 2020}}</ref>

==Medical and sports facilities==
The Greenbrier Clinic, adjacent to the hotel, has operated as an executive health facility since 1948.  In 1971 it began operating independently from the hotel (although still leasing its facility from the Greenbrier).<ref>Jack Bailey, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091321/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-9739515.html "Greenbrier Clinic offers physicals in resort atmosphere"], ''[[The State Journal (West Virginia)|State Journal]]'', May 20, 1996</ref>

In 2011, Justice announced an ambitious plan to construct the Greenbrier Medical Institute, a large-scale medical facility with a projected cost of at least $250 million, planned to be built in five stages. It was to include a [[sports medicine]] facility to be headed by orthopedic surgeon [[James Andrews (physician)|James Andrews]].<ref>Vicki Smith, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091317/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-29468668.html "Details of Greenbrier Medical Institute revealed: Planned $250 million facility to include sports medicine and rehab, VIP suites, cosmetic surgery"], ''[[Charleston Daily Mail]]'', August 25, 2011</ref> Construction of the first stage began in May 2012.<ref>Tina Alvey, [http://www.register-herald.com/latestnews/x1968161268/Phase-I-of-institute-construction-set-to-begin "Phase I of institute construction set to begin"], ''[[The Register-Herald]]'', May 17, 2012 {{subscription required}}.</ref>

The project was intended to establish relationships with professional sports teams, as the resort wanted to attract a [[National Football League]] team that would hold its annual [[Training camp (National Football League)|training camp]] at the Greenbrier. In March 2014, the [[New Orleans Saints]] and the hotel reached agreement on a three-year deal. The hotel committed to build three football fields and other facilities for the Saints, at an estimated cost of $20–25 million, adjacent to the medical facilities. The project was to be partially subsidized by tax breaks recently approved by the [[West Virginia Legislature|state legislature]], with an estimated value of $25 million over 10 years.

The relationship between the hotel and the Saints reportedly developed after a visit by Saints head coach [[Sean Payton]] to the 2013 [[Greenbrier Classic]] golf tournament to play in its [[pro-am]] competition and then to serve as [[caddie]] for his friend, PGA Tour player [[Ryan Palmer]].<ref>Kate White & David Gutman, [http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140323/GZ01/140329832 "NFL's Saints to train at The Greenbrier: Resort constructing 3 fields, facilities for Super Bowl XLIV champs"], ''[[The Charleston Gazette]]'', March 13, 2014.</ref>  After three seasons (during which the Saints praised the Greenbrier's facilities but finished with a 7–9 record every year), the Saints did not renew their contract with the hotel.  The [[Houston Texans]] took over the facilities for their 2017 training camp.<ref>Ben Shpigel, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/sports/football/houston-texans-training-camp-greenbrier.html], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 10, 2017.</ref> The [[New England Patriots]] have also held training camp at the Greenbrier.

The Spring League, a minor league football organization which evolved into the [[United States Football League (2022)|USFL]], held six of the seven games in their inaugural season at the Greenbrier.<ref name=espn-tsl>{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19304002/is-spring-league-nfl-springboard-least-shot |title=Is Spring League an NFL springboard? It's at least a shot |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=May 6, 2017}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Set in West Virginia in the aftermath of a nuclear war, the video game ''[[Fallout 76]]'' features a location known as "The Whitespring Resort" which strongly resembles the exterior and interior of the Greenbrier, including the hidden government bunker beneath.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wvtourism.com/fallout76-landmarks/ |title=''Fallout 76'': Did you catch these 8 WV landmarks? |access-date=January 28, 2020 |website=West Virginia Tourism |date=November 14, 2018 |publisher=West Virginia Tourism Office}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Forrest |first1=Justin |date=June 20, 2018 |title=Fallout 76: Real Life West Virginia Locations in the Apocalypse |url=https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/newswire/fallout-76-real-life-west-virginia-locations-in-the-apocalypse/ |publisher=Blueridge Outdoors |access-date=August 9, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

''Too Many Cooks'', the 1938 murder mystery by [[Rex Stout]], takes place at the Kanawha Spa, which is clearly modeled after the Greenbrier. [[Nero Wolfe]] and [[Archie Goodwin (character)|Archie Goodwin]] are attending a gathering of world renowned chefs, one of whom is murdered. They must identify the killer in order to avoid being detained there while the local authorities fumble about. [[The Wolfe Pack]], the fan club for Nero Wolfe mysteries, has held several gourmet dinners at the Greenbrier in honor of the novel.

''Entombed'', a 2010 novel by [[Brian Keene]], takes place in a fictionalized West Virginia hotel with a bunker beneath. The author states in the afterword that he was inspired by the Greenbrier.

''The Grand Design'', a 2022 novel by Joy Callaway, is a fictionalized life story of the interior decorator [[Dorothy Draper]] during her redesign of the Greenbrier, published by [[HarperCollins]].

The historical fiction novel ''In the Shadow of the Greenbrier'', by [[Emily Matchar]], tells the story of four generations of a Jewish family living near the Greenbrier during key moments in the resort's history. It was published by [[G. P. Putnam's Sons]] in 2024.

The Greenbrier was at the center of a moment on the U.S. game show ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (U.S. game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]''. Comedian [[Norm Macdonald]]'s $1,000,000 question was in reference to the Greenbrier's bunker. Macdonald was ready to correctly guess the Greenbrier but believed host [[Regis Philbin]] was trying to talk him out of the answer. Philbin did not know the answer, and was trying to ensure that Macdonald did not lose the $468,000 that he had already won for a charity. Macdonald walked away with $500,000 for Paul Newman's [[Hole in the Wall Camps]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Macdonald on ''Millionaire''... |work=Golf Digest |date=February 9, 2009 |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/macdonald-on-millionaire |access-date=April 12, 2019}}</ref>

The Greenbrier is used as a setting in the 1933 film ''[[Mary Stevens, M.D.]]''

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" caption="The Greenbrier">
File:THE GREENBRIER - WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV copy.jpg|The sprawling resort complex, surrounded by mountains
File:2008-0831-TheGreenbrier-North.jpg|North entrance
File:Greenbrier-Outside.jpg|The back patio
File:VIEW FROM SOUTHEAST - White Sulphur Springs, Spring House, U.S. Route 60, White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, WV HABS WVA,13-WHISP,1A-2.tif|The historic [[springhouse]]
File:Robert E Lee with his Generals, 1869.jpg|[[Robert E. Lee]], seated second from left, with his former Confederate generals at White Sulphur Springs, August 1869
File:At White Sulphur Springs.jpg|''At White Sulphur Springs'', 1870
File:Greenbrier Hotel 1916 cph.3b19148.jpg|"The Old White" in 1916
File:The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (73367).jpg|The Greenbrier in the late 1930s, showing the central 1913 wing, the back side of the 1931 north wing, and the 1911 bath wing on the right
File:20110918 65 The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV.jpg|An interior view
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of casinos in West Virginia]]
* [[List of casinos in the United States]]
* [[List of casino hotels]]
* [[Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center]]
* [[Raven Rock Mountain Complex]]
* ''[[Greenbrier Presidential Express]]'', a train that was planned to run between Washington, D.C., and White Sulphur Springs

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* ''The History of The Greenbrier: America's Resort'' by Robert Conte

==Bibliography==
* Conte, Robert S. The History of the Greenbrier: America's Resort. Charleston, W. Va: Published for the Greenbrier by Pictorial Histories Pub. Co, 1989. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21426566
* Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.). In America It's The Greenbrier: "Famous Since 1778", White Sulphur Springs West Virginia. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1930. Signed, in print, L.R. Johnston, General Manager ... Possibly a proof copy. Printed as [12] p. on 2 sheets (45 x 58&nbsp;cm. or smaller) with text on one side of sheet only. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/63110504
* Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.). The Greenbrier Historical Heritage: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia : Where the Vacation Season Never Ends. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1965. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/76875121
* Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs Company. A Treatise on the White Sulphur Springs and Its Waters, 1892. [Richmond, Va.]: [A. Hoenx], 1892. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/26019669
* Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. General Robert E. Lee at White Sulphur Springs, 1867–'68–'69. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1932. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6366418
* Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.). The Portico. White Sulphur Springs, W. Va: The Greenbrier, 1932. "Published weekly, during the season. Sub-title: "Tales of the 'Old White' and Notes from the Greenbrier." Editor: Alice Elizabeth Gasaway, The Greenbrier ..." http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47804280
* Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.), and Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company. Green-Brier White Sulphur Springs, 1900. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [Greenbrier], 1900. Contains a description of the hotel (with rates), society and its amusements and scenery, with an analysis of the water, a Bird's eye view of the White Sulphur Springs, and information on Chesapeake and Ohio's train service to the area. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/233974083
* Keefer, Louis E. Shangri-La for Wounded Soldiers: The Greenbrier As a World War II Army Hospital. Reston, VA: Cotu Pub, 1995.
* MacCorkle, William Alexander. The White Sulphur Springs; The Traditions, History, and Social Life of the Greenbriar White Sulphur Springs. New York: The Neale Publishing Company, 1916. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1581713
* Miscellaneous Materials About Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Includes Informational Brochures, Menus, Calendars, Postcards. 1940. Artist sees the Greenbrier; Roads and trails on the estate and in the vicinity of the Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; White Sulphur Springs, the Greenbrier and cottages; Greenbrier overture; Follow the Old Buffalo and Seneca trails to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Baths and medical department of the Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; America's most beautiful all-year-resort, the Greenbrier and cottages; Greenbrier calendar; Robert E. Lee week; Old White arts school and colony; Old White Art Gallery; President's cottage, 1835–1932; White Sulphur for conventions. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/647900978
* Moorman, J. J. Virginia White Sulphur Springs With the Analysis of Its Waters, the Diseases to Which They Are Applicable, and Some Account of Society and Its Amusements at the Springs. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet, 1869. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10845672
* Moorman, J. J. A Brief Notice of a Portion of a Work by William Burke, Entitled "The Mineral Springs of Western Virginia": With Preliminary Remarks on the Relative Virtues of the Saline and Gaseous Contents of the White Sulphur Water. Philadelphia: Printed by Merrihew and Thompson, 1843. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/14828853
* Olcott, William. The Greenbrier Heritage. [Philadelphia?]: [Arndt, Preston, Chapin, Lamb & Keen], 1967. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/564643
* Panel Descriptions of the Virginia Room. The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. [White Sulpher Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1931. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47745488
* Pencil, Mark. White Sulphur Papers, or, Life at the Springs of Western Virginia. New York: S. Colman, 1839. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/12415888
* Rains, David. The History of the White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Famous Since 1778, And The Greenbrier and Cottages. Roanoke, Va: Stone Print. and manufacturing Co, 1939. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5576726
* Smith, Wm. P. Topographical Map of a Portion of the White Sulphur Springs Tract in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. [United States]: [publisher not identified], 1875. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56966082
* Topographic Map of White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.?]: [publisher not identified], 1970. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/13946601

==External links==
{{Commons category|The Greenbrier}}
* {{Oweb|http://www.greenbrier.com}}
* [http://www.greenbrier.com/the-greenbrier/play-here/the-bunker.aspx The Bunker] – official site
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/july/25/brier1.htm The Ultimate Congressional Hideaway – 1992 article exposing the bunker]
* [https://conelrad.blogspot.com/2010/12/greenbrier-revisited.html Additional History of the Bunker]
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/bunker.html Interview with Paul Fritz Bugas, former superintendent of the bunker] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004002539/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/bunker.html |date=October 4, 2009 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051027010208/http://www.cmu.edu/coldwar/bunker.htm Congressional Bunker Tour]
* [http://www.civildefensemuseum.com/greenbriar/index.html Virtual Tour at the Civil Defense Museum]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/travel/15Greenbrier.html "The Greenbrier Resort Hopes to Preserve Its Past" – ''New York Times'', 2010]
* [http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/springs/whitesulphur/ "Taking the Waters: 19th Century Medicinal Springs: White Sulphur Springs."] Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, [[University of Virginia]]

{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{Ryder Cup venues |state=collapsed}}
{{Solheim Cup venues|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|37.7854|N|80.3083|W|region:US-WV_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenbrier, The}}
[[Category:The Greenbrier| ]]
[[Category:1858 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Biographical museums in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Greenbrier County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]]
[[Category:Continuity of government in the United States]]
[[Category:Destination spas]]
[[Category:Disaster preparedness in the United States]]
[[Category:Federal architecture in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Golf clubs and courses designed by Charles B. Macdonald]]
[[Category:Golf clubs and courses in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Hotel buildings completed in 1913]]
[[Category:Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Hotels established in 1858]]
[[Category:Hotels in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Jim Justice]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Military hospitals in the United States]]
[[Category:Museums in Greenbrier County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Museums on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in West Virginia]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Greenbrier County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Presidential museums in the United States]]
[[Category:Railway hotels in the United States]]
[[Category:Resorts in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Ryder Cup venues]]
[[Category:Solheim Cup venues]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Greenbrier County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia]]